Gliding Through Green Fields under Blue Skies
by RoseyLaur
Summary: AU. Arthur had everything he wanted. He had the school under his palm and everyone's praise. At least, he did, till he met that idiotic Alfred! Will they fight to the death, or become friends...and then something more? Based off the anime "Kare Kano"
1. Prologue

Warning: OC's for Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. This is the Gakuen Verse...sort of

**Prologue **

"_In the eyes of others, what kind of person am I?"_

"Oh, Arthur, wait a moment," a teenage girl cried out. She ran down the hallway to the person she had called out to. The called out person turned to look at her, his green eyes staring at her steadily. The girl blushed and pushed a pile of papers into his hands. "Thank you so much for your notes! I recognized the handwriting and knew it was you." The boy, Arthur, smiled, replying, "It was no problem. I…"

"Arthur," yelled another boy, coming to him, "the science teacher assigned a report for us and I haven't finished yet…"

"Don't worry," Arthur quickly said smiling, "I know the teacher well and will talk to him and get it extended."

The boy smiled with glee. "Thanks Arthur, you're a life saver."

"Isn't he," the girl agreed, "I mean, Arthur's nice, pretty smart, class rep, and the top student. He's always dressed well and probably the nicest dresser, despite our uniforms. He's popular with almost everyone. It's hard to believe someone like this still exists in the world!"

…

"_Heh._"

Out of the eyes of the other two, Arthur smirked. "_Yes, this is how everyone views me. Everyone cries out to Arthur Kirkland for advice and follows me wherever I go. I love living my life like this. I could live like this for a long time. Except…ever since I came to this school…I've been uncomfortable. And the reason for that…_"

"I believe," the girl went on, "That Arthur and Alfred are the most popular in the class…oh, here comes Alfred now!"

Around the corner came a tall, blue eyed, blond hair boy with one hair sticking up. With glasses up on his nose, he turned to the group and smiled big. The girl squealed, the boy ran to talk to Alfred…and Arthur quietly…snarled. "_…the reason for that is this idiot who's taking everyone away from me! Alfred F. Jones!"_

_I hoped everyone like it. ^^' R & R please?  
_


	2. Chapter 1

"We're home!" Peter Kirkland burst through the door of his home, with his elder sister, Wendy, close behind. The two siblings took their shoes off and walked through the house till they came upon one of their brothers. "Arthur, we're home," Wendy said calmly, though barely heard over Peter's, "Jerk Arthur, we're home!"

Arthur looked up, glasses perched on his nose. "Oh Wendy…Peter…welcome home." The two stared at Arthur who was sitting at his desk. "What," he asked, getting annoyed.

"Arthur…why do you always where that same jump suit every time we see you," Wendy asked.

Arthur sputtered, "It's…it's not the same one, I have multiple ones!" He looked down at himself, clad in a blue jump suit with white stripes. "And this is easier to study in, now would you please get out of my room."

"But I wanna play Jerk Arthur," Peter whined. Arthur glared at him, which translated to "Play with Wendy instead, you brat," which led the eighteen year old Wendy to lead poor Peter out the room.

Now, you may be wondering why the Arthur now is different from the one people see at school. This is because Arthur Kirkland…is an ego/power maniac. He would do anything for praise. The personality at school…is a lie! Because of their jobs, Arthur's parents spent a lot of time away from home, leaving Scott, the eldest brother, to look after Arthur, his elder sisters, and his little brother. Though the siblings loved him, they teased him constantly, so he got praise out his parents. Soon, he achieved more things and got more praise. Arthur began to dwell on the praise and does anything to get it. He loves having followers and people do his bidding. He pretends to be nice and comforting at school when really…he's a little meaner, harsher, and curses like a sailor. His family knows this….even Arthur knows it and he's proud of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
When dinner arrived, the Kirkland family sat around the table. (Minus the parents, they were staying the year in their home country of Britain, while the kids stayed in their American home) As they ate, they talked about school. Scott, being the oldest, was out of school and working as a lawyer in the local law firm. He was currently looking for an apartment. The eldest sister, Patricia, talked about her day of shopping and working at the grocery store. Their parents still sent them money, but Patricia got a job to help out (and to stay out of college). The second oldest, Wendy, talked about her day at school. She was about to go to college, but went to a different high school than Arthur. Peter, instead of talking about his day, talked about Arthur, earning a hit on head from Arthur.

"But honestly, you're really an ego-maniac," Peter said to Arthur, "to be number one academically, you study all night. To be number one athletically, you train, even though it doesn't look like your number one in that anymore!"

"Don't…remind me," Arthur growled, not wanting to think about Alfred at the moment.

"Even to look good in front of others, you pose in the mirror!" Peter groaned, "Why don't you stop faking all the time, it creeps me out!"

"Me too," Wendy claimed, "I visited your high school one day and I barely recognized you! You were so nice, hardworking and calm. At home, you're lazy and you yell all the time.

"I DO NOT yell all the time," Arthur yelled, "And I'm calm when I have my tea! Maybe not as calm as at school, but if I was exactly like I was at school, I'd die of exhaustion."

"Maybe you should stop faking then," Patricia said, smirking, "I see you with the neighbors and they always say what a gentleman you are. It makes me laugh."

Scott laughed. "Well Arthur's been like this since he was a lad back in Britain. He hasn't changed since we've come to the States."

Arthur sighed and went to back to his fish and chips. "I don't understand what's wrong with this family," he sighed, "when I hear the voices of my followers, I feel…happiness."

"And I thought you were weird enough with that unicorn," Peter laughed, dodging the chip thrown at him. Wendy laughed and then said, "But I believe you have a rival now."

Arthur pounded the table. "Yes, and I will not lose to him, especially after what happened that day…"

_**Flashback**_

It was a month before, on the first week of school. The new freshman had to attend a special ceremony in honor of welcoming them to Hetalia Academy. As Arthur sat in the crowd, he had turned out to principle talking. Even though everyone in the room was elated, Arthur felt miserable. "_Damn it_," he thought, "_I thought that if I tried hard enough, I would get the best grade and be first the class rep, not the runner up. But…it wasn't me. Someone was actually better than me. That…was my high school debut. How will I be student council president now! For all I know, he's probably some big, fat computer geek._"

"Will the class rep, Alfred F. Jones, come to the stage," the principle announced.

"_Alfred.._," Arthur began to think before the person sitting next to him jumped up, elbowing him in the shoulder. Arthur rubbed his shoulder and was about to glare at the person but froze. "Everyone," the person shouted, "My name is Alfred F. Jones and I will gladly represent our class!" There were oohs and aahs, and maybe a few groans as Alfred grinned. Arthur could only stare at him.

_**End Flashback**_

"And after that," Arthur continued, "he became number one in the school. Bloody hell! It's only because he's an athletic pretty boy who's nice to everyone he meets, so that makes everyone automatically swoon over him! It must be some plot to wipe me out! I haven't been this humiliated in my 15 years since that one time that French kid put a frog down my pants when I was eight! And that was before we moved here! But I will not lose to him! I may have lost in those things, but I will beat him in grades!"

Arthur then rushed out the dining room and into his room. He grabbed his books and began studying. Peter and Wendy followed him. "Arthur, don't you believe that you're taking this a little too…seriously," Wendy asked. Arthur just shook his head and continued reading. Wendy sighed. "Alfred sounds nice to me though."

"You're in for a disaster," Peter followed with.

"Will you shut up, you gits," Arthur screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Arthur sighed as he walked down the hallway. He was alone in the hallway, since he was always early so he would be on time. (And for appearances) Upon reaching his homeroom, he opened the door expecting no one to be in the room.

"Ah, morning Arthur!"

Arthur froze, shocked to see Alfred sitting at his desk already. (They had homeroom together) Quickly regaining his posture, Arthur smiled his well practiced smile. "Good morning Alfred." "_Damn._" Arthur walked over to Alfred, who was smiling big. "You are early today."

"Well, we had practice this morning, so I thought I might as well come in. But I must really early if I'm here before you! You always come in early Arthur, it's amazing," Alfred replied, smiling.

Arthur smiled back. "Ah, I see." "_Uh, why did I have to see this idiot first thing in the morning? But, he'll never know how disgusted I am with my poker face_." "You're on the football team right? I haven't played since I was a child."

Alfred chuckled a bit. "You're talking about the soccer team? Yep, we usually have practice in the evening from six to eight, but once a week Coach makes us have practice first thing in the morning."

Arthur put on an impressed face. "Oh wow and yet you still have time to study? I'm impressed."

Alfred looked away, his face going a light shade of pink. "Oh no, it's…I mean." Arthur stared at him. "_Is he…embarrassed…you have to be kidding me._" "I mean," Alfred continued, "you're hard working, pretty smart, and you're also class rep with me which makes you awesome! You're also popular, and gentleman like, I can't believe someone like you still really exists!"

Arthur felt his face heat up and shook it off, blaming the room for being hot. "_Why is he so nice?"_ Arthur thought. "It's nothing really," Arthur simply said smiling. The classroom started to fill and Alfred left his desk to talk to someone. Arthur turned his head and smirked. "_Get ready Jones. You have just guaranteed a one way ticket to hell from yours truly._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The days went by quickly. The days soon turned into weeks. Alfred and Arthur continued to be popular, with Arthur secretly plotting against the younger of the two. (By nine months) Arthur studied harder and harder each night, sometimes passing out, freaking out Wendy. The rest of his family let him be, already having given up hope on him. The time of the first big test was fast approaching. In Arthur's school, there were three big tests: the Midterms for half of their classes, the Midterm for the second half which was also the time of the Final for the first half, and the Final for the second half. Arthur studied each night, until one night, he realized, "_For some reason…this has gone from having praise…to beating Alfred._" This did not stop him from studying like a maniac.

After the week of the test, the students had their tests returned in homeroom. The teacher came up to Alfred's desk. "Very good Mr. Jones," he said handing him the test. The other students in the class came over to him, exclaiming, "Wow Alfred, you got a 95." "Can you tutor me?" "Alfred, you really are the best." Arthur simply kept his composure, inwardly growling. The teacher came to Arthur. "Well done, Mr. Kirkland, top in the class." Arthur looked at his test. He had gotten one hundred. Next to it, read his status: he had gotten the best grade in the class.

"Wow," the other students ran to Arthur's desk, "that's amazing Arthur! I didn't know you were that good! Hey, let's form a study group sometime!"

Arthur continued staring until a big smile spread across his face. "_I…I DID IT! I GOT TO HIGHEST GRADE! I BEAT ALFRED!_ _This is…my high school debut_." That's when he saw Alfred walking over. "_Hmph, eat that Jones. Let's see you keep up that act through this!_"

Alfred smiled. "Wow, look at that. You truly are amazing Arthur!"

…

"_Huh"_

Arthur was puzzled. "_Wait a moment. This…was not the reaction I was expecting. I thought I would beat him if I did better on grades…but yet he's so happy. Why is he still so happy? And why am I…unhappy. Alfred…didn't want to win from the beginning, did he? He didn't even care who was better. The only one who cared…was me. He's the real thing! Argh, I was so stupid! In the end I was the idiot…trying to compete with the real deal. Hypocrisy. All my life, I wanted to praise…and now…it really was stupid trying to gain it by being something I not?_" Arthur continued to smile, thought painfully with the rest of the class, while one student with short black hair stared at him from his desk.

After homeroom ended, Arthur started to walk to his next class. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm. "Arthur, wait minute!" Arthur turned to see the last person he wanted to see at the moment. "Listen," Alfred said, "I was wondering…if you wanted study together sometime?"

Arthur looked at him. "_Is he asking…no…no he's not._" "Sure, that's sounds good," he said forcing a smile.

Alfred beamed. "Great! I can bring some books over to your place sometime. Is that alright."

Arthur smiled. "Sure. Let me give you my address." And they exchange addresses and cell phone numbers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Peter and Wendy ran around the house. "Peter, don't forget to bring money with you. I am not paying for you!"

"Aw, but you're the adult here!"

"I don't care." Wendy stopped at the couch where Arthur was laying in his jump suit. "Arthur, are you sure you don't want to come to movies with us."

"I'm fine," Arthur said lazily, "it's Saturday and I'm still tired from exams."

"Naw, he's just depressed cause he found out how awesome Alfred is and now he feels like shit," Peter yelled laughing.

Arthur threw a pillow at him glaring. "Shut up and watch your language. And I'm over it. So he turned to be great person…I mean, like how everyone says? I can't change it now!" Wendy sighed, grabbed Peter, and went out the door to her car.

Arthur sighed. "Ah, I live for days like this. Wendy took Peter to the movies, Scott's at the gym and Patricia's shopping. No annoying siblings to ruin my day. Nothing but the telly, some scones and a hot cup of Earl Grey. Life is perfect." That was when the door bell rang. "What is it now?" Arthur groaned, "Ah, I bet Wendy forgot her car keys. She probably sent Peter back for them. Honestly." Arthur got up and stretched and walked to door, which kept ringing. "Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

_That day…way did I let my guard down?_

Arthur opened the door. "Just hurry up and grab the keys, you brat," he yelled. Standing in front him was not his little brother. The person in front of him wasn't very little, but a big, blonde, bespectacled man…

…

"_Oh…shit!_"

Alfred stared, wide eyed, at Arthur who only stared back. They stared for about a minute until Alfred cleared his throat. "Um…I tried calling you to see if you wanted to study to…today. But you didn't pick up…and you never gave me your house phone…so I just came over…I see…this is a bad time…um…"

Arthur simply gaped at him. "Um…" was all he could say. "_My life…is ruined_."


	3. Chapter 2

"_Even from afar, you can tell when someone is special_."

Arthur stood near the window of his school. Staring through the glass, his eyes rested on Alfred, who was chatting with other boys from their class. Arthur cringed. "_Alfred_," he thought, "_knows everything! It would not surprise me if he's figured out that who he saw yesterday was the real me! That the 'me' he normally saw was a fake! A disguise! A mask!" _Arthur continued to watch Alfred before sighing. "_What will you do know Alfred? Will you tell everyone? Or will you be forgiving and give this lowlife a chance?_" Arthur sighed again and walked away from the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Alfred laughed at a joke one of the boys told, before he turned to see that Arthur was gone. He had been watching Arthur out the corner of his eye the whole time. "Hey," one the boys started to say, causing Alfred to turn around, "I think Arthur was just looking over here."

The others nodded. "I wonder what he wanted," another boy claimed "Probably thinking about something…what if he was judging us or something?"

"Relax Toris; I'm sure he wasn't thinking anything like that."

"Yeah, that would be, like, very rude!"

"Hey guys," Alfred said, quieting the group, "What do you know about Arthur?"

The boys looked at each other with puzzling looks. "Um," the one, Toris, spoke up, "None of us really know anything about him. I've asked him for directions one time, but other than that, I know that he's a very nice person…"

"I've heard," another man said coming to them, "that he turns down every person who asks him out on a date, whether they be male or female, but that's all I know."

"Eh, really Kiku? I've heard that, but didn't think it was true! " Toris claimed.

Kiku nodded. "Aw," a blonde haired boy spoke, "And I was, like, gonna confess…"

"No point now Feliks; you'll only get hurt…"

"I believe," Kiku continued, looking at Alfred, "that it is time to go in. Do you agree, Alfred-san?"

Alfred smiled big. "Kiku's right, guys, we should head in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Arthur walked down the hallway still deep in thought. "_This is it for me. My days here are numbered. Everyone who looked at me with respect will only look at me with disgust tomorrow. I guess not even the greatest of kings could avoid things like this._" That was when Arthur heard chatter ahead of him. Snapping out of thought, his eyes widen as he saw Alfred coming towards him, followed by Kiku and Toris. Arthur stood there, head down as they passed.

And nothing happened.

Alfred continued walking by, still laughing. Arthur stared into space, shock and relief passing through him. He just stood there, again deep in thought, missing the small glare Kiku sent his way.

A week had passed, and Alfred never said anything. Every time Arthur saw him, Alfred would avoid him. Arthur started to believe that this was weird, but paid no other mind to it. When it had reach late Friday afternoon, Arthur realized that Alfred may have let him go. "_That's weird_," Arthur thought, "_he just let me go. Well then_," he mentally cheered, "_Turns out he's nicer than I thought. I mean, he is very nice and kind to everyone, and I'm no exception!_" Arthur smirked to himself and went to check in with his teacher.

Arthur quietly put his books inside his bag. The day had ended and the sun was beginning to set. Everyone else in the school had gone home and he had to stay behind to finish some things. Still in his good mood from his earlier revelation, he suddenly said to himself, "Oh, I have to get something from the library." Grabbing his bag, he left the classroom, almost skipping to the library (though he would deny it) humming "Rule Britannia." Arthur hummed the tune and turned the corner where the library was placed.

"Well, you're in a good mood."

Arthur nearly screamed and backed into the wall closest to him. Alfred was standing in front of him smiling…no, smirking. "Did I scare you," he continued walking closer to Arthur. Arthur tried to back up, but the wall was in the way. "What a surprise," Alfred said, still smirking, "I remembered something today. I had seen something a week ago that was really amazing! A side to the great Arthur Kirkland no one had ever seen before. Who would have thought? I wonder what everyone's reactions would be if they found out. Disgust, shame…" Arthur held his hand up to Alfred's face. "Hmm, what is it Arthur?"

"…don't," Arthur muttered, "don't tell everyone."

Alfred continued smirking, making Arthur want to punch it off his face. "Come on, say the magic word!"

Clenching his fists and teeth, Arthur grumbled, "PLEASE…don't tell anyone."

Alfred's smirked transformed into a big smile. "Okie Dokie." However, before Arthur could sigh with relief, a pile a papers was thrust into his hands. "Take this, I need you to finish these before tomorrow. I have a meeting." He started to run off, yelling behind him, "See ya later Artie!"

Arthur just stood there staring at Alfred's running back. "Artie," he muttered confused, before his rage picked up. "What…WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! Why do I have to do this? That git!" Arthur clenched the papers to his chest. "That attitude….that smirk…who was that? What the hell happened to Alfred?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Arthur sighed as he placed his pencil down. It was already dark outside and almost everyone had left the school already. "This is ridiculous," he said to himself, "today was like any other day…except…I now spend each as STUPID ALFRED'S SLAVE! It's been four days since then! I can't tell anyone here and my family won't understand or listen! What did I do to deserve this!"

"Maybe talking to yourself for starters," Alfred countered, walking in the room. Arthur froze and glared at the man. Alfred only smiled and came to Arthur's desk. "Wow, you're done already? Amazing as always Artie!"

Arthur jumped up. "First off, do not call me Artie," he said, "and secondly, what is it that you want? Why do I have to do this?"

Alfred looked at him with a blank look, and then said, "Because I know your darkest secret and I'm using it to my advantage," as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Trying to prevent himself from banging his head into the wall, Arthur yelled, "I KNEW THAT! I'm going to be blunt with you, this is blackmail! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Alfred looked hurt for a second, but then smiled and said, "Well of course I am." Arthur started to talk but Alfred went on, "But I have a lot of work to do, and sometimes heroes must result to drastic measures." Alfred stood and did a Super Man pose, "Thus I asked your assistance!"

Arthur simply gaped at him "_What is he, a child_?" "Well…heroes don't make innocent people do their work for them. They force the villain and sometimes…the sidekick," Arthur said quickly, for his knowledge on these things were limited.

Unsurprisingly, Alfred simply smiled again. "Well, you know in most American movies the sidekick or villain is usually British."

"Fuck you!"

"Ooh, bad language. Of course, you could always stop," Alfred said, his smile melting into a smirk, "You can just walk away…that is, if you're brave enough."

"You bastard." Alfred laughed and grabbed his papers. Arthur groaned. "_Someone must have cursed my life_."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
From that point on, Arthur found himself with Alfred's work every day. Day after day, Alfred would pile work on top of Arthur, which led to him coming home late more often. Despite being annoyed at this, Arthur enjoyed himself a bit. He didn't mind the work after a while, and he found that he was getting to know Alfred more the before. One thing he learned was that along with being class rep and on the football team, Alfred was on the social planning committee, the graduation travels representative, and a lot of other things.

"Wow," Arthur said the beginning the next week during lunch, "with all this work, I'm surprised you are not dead!"

Alfred laughed at that. "I can't help it," he said, "People always come to me! It must be because I'm so awesome."

"I'm sure," Arthur said rolling his eyes, trying to kick out the thought in his head that Alfred was right, "But still Alfred, this is too much for one person. I don't even have to this much."

"Well then," Alfred said, rubbing Arthur's head, "that's why it's good thing I have you!"

Arthur blushed and swatted his hand away, his heart beating harder in his chest. "Don't…don't do that! What am I, your dog?"

Alfred chuckled and started to walk away. "Naw, you're more like a cat!"*

Arthur fumed, following him. "A cat!"!

Later that night, Alfred finished his activities early, so he helped Arthur finish "his" work. "That reminds me," Arthur said suddenly, "Alfred, were you on the student council at your junior high?"

Alfred grinned. "Yep, the president! You too?"

Arthur let a small smile cross his face. "Yes, I was the president at my school as well. It was hard work."

"Maybe for you, but not for me," Alfred said laughing. Arthur looked at him confused, when Alfred made his eyes water and wide. "Oh no," Alfred spoke, "I can't finish all of these. Will…will you help me with these." Alfred proceeded to start laughing at Arthur's horrified look. "The puppy eyes always work Artie! They always work!"

"That's…wow! Hmph, I thought heroes didn't do things like that," Arthur said, half smugly and half horrified.

Alfred calmed down to look at him. "I only did when I was desperate…"

"You're worse than I am," Arthur yelled.

"Well not quite, but almost," Alfred said back. Arthur look hurt and Alfred quickly added, "I mean I don't normally act like this. I guess…I have a double identity too…that only you can see."

Arthur's eyes widened, his heart going faster than before. "_What…what's going on,_" he thought. He softly muttered, "Oh," instead, before saying, "It's getting late, maybe they'll let you finish this tomorrow?"

Alfred looked at his watch and jumped up. "Crap, it is late! My brother will wonder where I am! You're right, I'm sure they can wait!" Before Arthur could ask about this brother of his, Alfred leapt to the door. Arthur sighed, following him. "Oh wait," Alfred said suddenly, stopping at the closed door, "Artie, you hungry?"

Arthur thought for a moment. "Well," he said, "I haven't eaten yet, so I am a bit famished."

"Well then," Alfred said a warm smile on his face, "I'll take you to dinner."

Arthur's eyes widen again, this time even bigger, as his chest started to feel heavy. "_What is going on_," he thought as he walked out the door, _"This feeling…this cannot be normal. Am I sick? _" "Okay," Arthur replied, walking next to Alfred, "But we can go anywhere except McDonalds."

Alfred pouted. "But why not?

The sun set and the school was quiet the following night. The sky was clear, as a full moon shown in the sky. After wearing himself out from working and studying, Arthur had fallen asleep on Alfred's work. The window was open, the light wind from outside blowing strands of his hair. Softly, Arthur started to stir. He felt someone gently nudging him. Arthur slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see Alfred. "Hey," Alfred said softly. Arthur froze, wide awake, staring up at the man. Alfred smiled. "I finished practice and came to see if you were still here. I figured I would wake you up."

Arthur stared at Alfred for a minute. The moonlight surrounded the darkened room, enveloping the pair. Instead of thinking of why the room was darkened, Arthur simply continued to gaze at Alfred. His face was framed by the moonlight, his blue eyes sparkling from the light along with youth, freedom and…a little loneliness. "_There's no way_," Arthur thought, "_I suppose…I have been denying myself too long now to deny this. I wonder when it started…I've never had feelings for someone before…feelings like this. But now…I look at him with different eyes. Did it start after he knew my secret…or was it when I learned the real him? Just a crush huh? Damn, I've dug myself into a early grave now, haven't I_?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Kirkland family sat around the dinner table talking about their day. "Arthur," Patricia turned to Arthur, "You have been coming home late a lot recently."

Arthur looked up from his food. "I have a lot of school work and activities, so I have to stay late."

"Oh really? Only that," Scott asked smirking.

Arthur glared. "Yes, really."

Scott sighed. "Okay Peter, I was right, so pay up."

Peter pouted. "But that doesn't make sense!"

Arthur looked back a forth between the two of them. "What are you two talking about? And Scott, why would you bet with a kid…actually, never mind I asked."

"I'm not a kid! I'll be fourteen soon! And well," Peter went on, Arthur rolling his eyes, "it's really weird! You're always coming home late, and you never tell us about school anymore when you used to. Not to mention," Peter yelled pointing at Arthur, "You don't wear your jumpsuit and glasses anymore! Which why I think that you. Have. a. Girlfriend!"

Arthur nearly choked on his food. "A…a girlfriend? You're both crazy!"

Scott simply nodded. "The kids got a point there you know."

"Oh Sod off! Like I said, it's just schoolwork!"

"Maybe not a girlfriend," Wendy quickly said, ignoring Arthur like everyone else, "Arthur, you swing both ways right?'

Arthur blushed, and muttered, "Yes, I opened up about this a while ago didn't I?"

"Then," Wendy interrupted, "I'm correct. One of my friends at your school said they see you always in the presence of another guy."

Arthur gulped. "_Oh no…_"

Wendy smirked. "A handsome young man, glasses, blue eyes, blonde hair with a hair sticking up. A man who goes by the name of Alfred F. Jones!"

Arthur really choked this time. Scott's jaw dropped. Peter went hysterical with laughter. Patricia started laughing as well. "Well," she giggled, "that's surprising. I thought you hated him, and now you're dating him?"

"I didn't hate him…AND I'M NOT DATING HIM! I told you, it's school work," Arthur screamed, but he was ignored by his family chatting about their parents finding out, along with something about Scotts affair with a French girl. He put his head on the table and groaned. "_Damn it, they're horrible. They're making this even more confusing_._ I don't even know what Alfred really thinks of me._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next day, during chemistry, Arthur watch as the water boiled over the alcohol lamp. He slowly added chemicals to the beaker so it wouldn't spill or explode. Once it was deemed safe, Arthur put the other beaker back in the holder, when someone grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Excuse me, Arthur, can I talk to you?"

Arthur turned to see a young woman with long brown hair and green eyes like his own. Arthur smiled. "Yes, how may I help you Elizaveta?"

Elizaveta smiled and said, "Well…this isn't about the class work…it's….well, I was wondering what your relationship with Alfred is?" Arthur nearly tripped over himself when she said this, swearing he could see stars. "You two have been very close lately, this we have seen. I was wondering what was happening. It's great if you two are friends, just from what I can see, you two see more than just friends. That would be amazing for my footage, I mean, for you too, if it was like that?"

"More…than…"Arthur mumbled to himself while swaying.

"Actually," the girl went on, "there's this rumor going around about this." Arthur stopped swaying, his head quickly going back to her. "I asked my friend Sofie* actually to asked Alfred about it. She said that he just laughed."

Arthur expression dropped a bit. Then he smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's nothing." He then turned back to what he was doing. "_Of course,_" he thought bitterly, _"Who am I kidding? Alfred doesn't feel that way. He's probably only attracted to girls! He would be disgusted with me. But…maybe he doesn't mind. Even if he doesn't mind…he doesn't show that he has any feelings for me at all. He was nice to me before he found out my secret, then all he did was tease me and be mean and…use me. I…I didn't fall for him until after I found out his other side. He liked the other me better…I don't stand a chance. The tragic end to a forbidden fairy tale._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Alfred opened the door to a classroom to find Arthur still at his desk that evening. Alfred walked over to him. "Oh, so I see you're still here."

Arthur didn't look up. "I finished it."

Alfred smiled big. "That's great Artie, now…"

Arthur stood up and threw the papers at Alfred, cutting him off. "I've had enough!"

"What do you mean," Alfred asked confused.

Arthur glared at him. "I've had enough of this. I won't help you anymore!"

Alfred looked at him confused and then said, "But, if you don't, you'll have lots of problems later," in a sing song like voice.

Arthur walked passed him. "I don't care anymore. I don't care even if you told the whole world." He proceeded to leave, when Alfred grabbed his arm. "Let me go."

"No," Alfred said, "You're angry. Why are you angry?"

"_Shit, why does he have to read the atmosphere now_?" "I'm not angry," Arthur said calmly, "but if you don't let go, I will be. So let go!"

Alfred only held tighter. "You are angry! I'm not letting you go until I know why!"

Arthur struggled. "Alfred, let me go!"  
"No!"

"I said let go!"

_SLAP_

The sound resonated throughout the classroom. Alfred held his hand to his cheek, staring at Arthur from where he was pushed. Arthur stared back, surprised he had actually done it. "I…I," Arthur muttered and then he yelled, "I hate this! Damn it, Alfred, I hate being used by you!" He then ran out the room and down the hallway, ignoring Alfred's calls. Arthur kept running, his heart beating faster every moment, and at the same time, shattering. "_I should have known,_" he thought, "_I almost lost myself. For a while, it was like we were friends, but he's been using me this whole time. Arthur Kirkland does not get used! This is too much! I can't continue like this!"_ Suddenly, Arthur heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head to see Alfred on his tail! "Bloody hell," he yelled, "why are you following me?"

"Because you're running away from me," Alfred yelled back.

Arthur ran faster. "Go away, stop chasing me you idiot!"

"Like hell I'm gonna do that!" Arthur halted, only to jump out the open window to his left. Alfred stopped, shock running through him like a virus as he watched Arthur jump…and then land safely on the ground. Alfred groaned. "You're lucky we're on the first floor," he screamed. Alfred sighed, jumped out the window, and started to chase Arthur again. "Will you stop running you fucking Brit! "

"No, you stupid Yank!"

Alfred reached his hand to Arthur. "You're acting like you're life's in danger. Will you listen?" He grabbed Arthur by his shirt.

CRASH

The grab caused Arthur to stumble, leading to the two falling and crashing into the sports equipment. Panting, both of them stayed still for a moment, before Alfred got up. "Ow, that will leave a mark," he claimed, rubbing his arm. He then saw Arthur crawling away out the corner of his eye. "Oh come on, you're still running away," he groaned, grabbing Arthur, "Aren't you hurt? Let me see your…face."

Arthur's face was covered in smudges, along with a stream of tears. "So what if I'm running away for once? Why do you care if I'm hurt? After all, I'm just a vain, spoiled brat who likes to tell lies, right? Okay, I admit to that. I'm not a complete gentleman. I'm conniving, controlling, and selfish! I'm deceptive! You know all this, have I disappointed you? Huh? Am I not worthy now? Is that why you tease me now? Because I'm not perfect anymore, no longer having the dignity of a human being? Damn it, I hate you….I hate…" Alfred reached out the touch Arthur's shoulders, but Arthur flinched away. "Don't touch me, you bastard!"

Alfred looked at him hurt, but backed off a bit. "I'm sorry," he muttered. Arthur's eyes softened at this. Alfred continued, "I didn't mean for it to be like this. I…was never planning on telling anyone in the first place. You've never disappointed me Arthur. Being with you…makes me really happy. Honestly…I did all of this just because I wanted to hang out with you." Arthur's eyes widened, as Alfred blushed, "before I found out your secret, I wanted to know more about you. You seemed so perfect. After I found out…I wanted to find out even more about you. You seemed like a fun person, and I've never acted like this with anyone other than you…and…this is embarrassing," Alfred said, blushing more while scratching his head, "I thought this would work. I thought you liked to work, so I wasn't trying to use you. I thought you would have fun, and it seemed like you were. I'm sorry, let's just forget all this, okay?

Arthur gazed at Alfred for second. Alfred looked back, with a look on his face that told Arthur that he was being sincere. Chuckling, Arthur smiled. "You could of just asked, you git," he said smiling.

Alfred's face lit up. "Yeah, but asking for friends is kind of lame Artie."

Arthur rolled his eyes as Alfred helped him up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After that incident, Arthur and Alfred became good friends who shared a secret. They would hang out during school and they starting eating lunches together. "_In the end_, "Arthur thought during one lunch, "_Alfred thought the real reason I was angry was because he gave me too much work. That's fine, at least for now I know I have a little part in Alfred's life…even if it's not romantic, I can live with this_." "Hey Alfred," Arthur asked, "I remember you saying you had a brother?"

"Oh yeah," Alfred said between bites of a hamburger, "I live with my older brother Matthew. It's just the two of us, without parents, so Matt has to work a lot to take care of both of us."

"Oh," Arthur replied, "What does he do?"

"He works as an assistant to a doctor at the famous hospital down the street."

Arthur nearly dropped his food. "That…THAT hospital! You must be rich!"

Alfred laughed. "Not really," he said, "what about you?"

"Well," Arthur said after thinking, "I have four siblings; an older brother, and younger brother and two older sisters. My parents' jobs require that they live in England for now, so my brother Scott looks after us."

"Wow," Alfred said amazed," That sounds like fun!"

Arthur did a half smile. "Yeah…fun…Anyways," he said, changing the subject, "I can't believe no one's seen this side of you! Though you're not that much different.

Alfred chuckled. "I guess so." "_I'm surprised too,_" Alfred thought, _"I never knew I could be like this. I'm usually fine with people but not as comfortable as I am with you Arthur. I wonder…what attracts me to you? I'm falling deeper into you Arthur and I don't know whether this is good…or bad_."

*Sophie is my name for Belgium


	4. Chapter 3

_ The rain poured outside the house. The lightning struck the ground, basking the room in white light. In a corner, a little boy was cuddled with a stuffed rabbit, whimpering. The thunder shook the room once more, causing the boy to cry harder. Suddenly, the door of the room opened, and a woman walked in. "What's wrong," she said, "What is it now?"_

Alfred shook his head as he looked out the window. It was raining that day, the school grounds covered in puddles of water. Alfred sighed as he looked back at his papers. "_Why do I keep remembering that_," he thought sadly, "_it's been so long since I've remembered, why?_"

The door of the classroom opened, causing Alfred to look up. Standing in the doorway was Arthur, with a surprised look on his face. "Oh, Alfred, I did not realize you were still here."

Alfred looked, a small grin forming on his face. "Yeah, I had some work I needed to finish. How about you?"

"I had some work as well, but I'm finished," Arthur answered walking over to the desk. "You know," he continued, smirking, "if you need some help, I would…of course, it's because you move slow and I don't want to wait so long."

Alfred looked at Arthur for a while, before saying coolly, "No, that's fine, I'm already finished." Before Arthur could speak, Alfred stood up. "I have practice, see you later, Arthur."

Alfred walked passed Arthur and out the door before Arthur could mutter a goodbye. Arthur stared at the door and then sighed. "_Well, that was weird," _he thought, "_He didn't look like his normal cheerful self. Then again, he has been acting cold to me for a few days. I wonder if I did something_." Arthur sat down and put his head in his hands. "_We were getting along fine, until last week…_"

_**1 week earlier-Wednesday**_

"Hey Alfred," Arthur said one day during lunch, "How about you and me get together after school and study." Alfred's face lit up, causing Arthur to quickly add, "Finals are coming up, and it would be bad if we didn't study, and…well, two is better than one…"

Alfred clamped his hand on Arthur's shoulder, cutting him off. "That's a great idea, the idea of working together! Smart as always Artie!"

Arthur blushed, shook Alfred's hand away, and then glared. "Sometimes, I can't tell when you're sarcastic or not." Alfred laughed, and the two decided to go to Alfred's house that day.

When school ended, the two males headed towards the Jones household. After walking for a bit, Alfred stopped and Arthur gaped. "This…THIS IS YOUR HOUSE? I…I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T RICH?"

Alfred laughed. "We're not, my parents bought this house for me and my brother to live in for high school. They live in the town over."

Arthur gaped at Alfred. "You're parents live in the town over? Then…you have two houses?"

Alfred sighed. "Well, my parents own that hospital I told you about…"

"You said only your brother worked there!"

"He does…he's an assistant…to my dad…who's a doctor."

"YOU ARE RICH!"

"You're overreacting," Alfred sighed, opening the door with Arthur following. The two walked down the hallway, Arthur looking at each object as if it were like a historical artifact. Arthur would stop at some points to marvel at a painting on the wall. Alfred chuckled as he watched Arthur's child like fascination. Reaching the living room, Alfred poked his head in, his smile growing. "Yo, Matt, I'm home, and I brought a friend with me," he said smiling at the man in the room, "This is Artie."

Alfred turned and saw Arthur staring at a painting, before he quickly ran back to Alfred. The man stood up and walked over to the pair. "Nice to meet you Artie, I'm Matthew," the man said quietly."

Arthur looked the man over. "_They look exactly alike_." Arthur smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you Matthew, and please, call me Arthur."

Alfred gaped at Arthur as Matthew smiled. He looked over to Alfred. "Al, if you want, I'll make some pancakes for you and your friend."

Alfred smiled big. "Awesome! We'll be in my room, come on Artie." Arthur sighed as Alfred dragged him upstairs. Once the reached his room, Alfred closed the door, and said, "I am really amazed at how quickly you changed your expressions…so amazed that it freaks me out!"

Arthur smirked as he sat on the chair at Alfred's desk. "Years of practice, Alfred, years of practice." Arthur took the moment to look around the room. The walls had posters of superheroes on them, ranging from Superman to Spiderman. He had a computer desk with a laptop, a lamp, and a bed. Arthur turned back to Alfred, who was looking at him with a big grin. "Before I comment on your room, your brother is really nice. You must have nice parents."

Alfred looked shocked for a minute, flinched, and then smiled. "Um, yeah.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
That Friday, Alfred asked (more like convinced) Arthur to take him to his house. The two walked down the sidewalk toward the Kirkland household, Alfred humming, Arthur grimacing. "Listen, Alfred," Arthur started, "my house isn't like yours, so no laughing.  
"I've already been to your house before," Alfred said, Arthur shuddering at the memory, "so I won't laugh."

"You've never seen the inside," Arthur muttered, though truthfully what he was worried about the most was Alfred meeting his family. "Well, here we are."

They walked up to the house and Arthur opened the door. Wendy was near the door, about to head out. She looked up to Arthur. "Oh, Arthur you're home…" Her voice got caught in her throat when she saw Alfred behind him. "You…you're…"

Arthur sighed as Alfred smiled. "Nice to meet you Artie's sister, I'm Alfred Jones."

Wendy's face went from shock to excitement. "Al…Alfred Jones!"

Her scream rang throughout the household, cause the rest of the siblings to run to the door. Arthur was pushed out of the way as his siblings talked to Alfred, who only smiled and laughed. Eventually, Arthur was able to grab Alfred and take him to the office room. Once the door closed, the siblings started talking. "I think this is the first time Arthur's brought a friend home," Patricia said smiling.

"Well, that's because Jerk Arthur has never really cared about friends or anything like that before," Peter said while chewing gum, "But of all people, I didn't think he'd be able to get Alfred to be friends with him!"

"Well," Wendy said dreamily still excited from earlier, "It sometimes happens like that. From rivals to friends…and then maybe lovers if I don't steal him for myself! He's so handsome."

Peter started to choke on his gum as Scott ignored her and listen to the door. "What in the world are you doing Scott," Patricia asked.

Scott shrugged. "Making sure they aren't doing anything…inappropriate for Peter's ears."

"It's not like you care or not," Patricia said smirking, "That reminds me, doesn't Alfred's family own that famous hospital in town.

Scott perked up. "You're right. Maybe we should head over; they might give us a discount if we tell them we're friends with the owner's son!"

Peter laughed. "But we're all healthy!"

The four laughed, unknowing that they were loud enough for Alfred and Arthur to hear their whole conversation. Arthur clenched his pencil hard enough for it to break, while Alfred tried to calm him down. "Calm down Arthur, it's not like…"

Arthur didn't hear the rest. He got up, threw open the door and screamed, "WHY IS MY FAMILY FULL OF A BUNCH OF WANKERS?" He then proceeded to chase his brothers and sisters around the room, Alfred helplessly watching.

_**Present**_

Arthur rubbed his head. "_Okay, that was a little embarrassing, I'll admit, but that wouldn't make Alfred act cold to me, would it_? _Before now, he was always laughing with me, and we were always together. But now…when I think about it…he's become distant._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next day, Arthur walked through the hallways in search of Alfred. The teacher had given him some papers that Alfred needed to see as well. Arthur eventually spotted him talking to Toris and Toris's friend Feliks. Walking quicker, Arthur kept on a straight face and tapped Alfred on the shoulder. "Hey, Alfred…"

Alfred turned. "What is it Arthur," he said without a smile on his face.

Arthur flinched. "Um, someone wanted me to give these to you."

Alfred snatched the papers. "Thanks," he said quickly.

Arthur, hurt shown on his face, turned around and walked away. Toris watched him leave. "Alfred, are you okay?"

Alfred put on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

Toris just looked at him with a worried expression. Down the hallway, Arthur continued walking, his head hurting. "_So he's really avoiding me_," he thought, "_Now he's only using minimal words. Did I do something wrong? That…was rejection…wasn't it?_"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
When the next Monday came, things had gotten worse. Arthur arrived at school at his normal time, just to see Alfred walk towards him. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but Alfred walked right passed him without a word. Arthur turned around to speak, but could not find the words. "_What is going on,_" he thought in a panic, "_two weeks ago we were acting like friends! I…don't know how to deal with this. I…only acted nice to people, but never treated people nice. I have never had friends, so I don't know how to deal with fights like this. I never argue with people outside my family. I always hid behind a mask. Before Alfred…I really had nothing._"

Later that day, during gym, Arthur watched Alfred play basketball with confusion. "_What could it be,"_ he kept thinking, "_He's acting like normal, except when he's around me? I'm the only one who knows how he really is! Though…I don't even know that much about him myself. Why does he pretend to act this way in public? I do it for praise…I wonder why he does it. I wonder…if Alfred is actually as happy as he acts._" Arthur sighed and stepped outside. He shivered in the December air. "_I wonder if it was something I said…or could it…no way_!" He froze, horrified at his new revelation. "_It can't be possible that he found out that I have feelings for him? Damn it! That has to be it! I knew he was straight; he must have figured it out and is disgusted with me. Well, if that's how it is…then he should just say so!_"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Alfred!"

Alfred turned around to see Arthur behind him. "Yes," he said calmly.

Arthur glared. "If you have something to say to me, then say it now!"

Alfred stared at him, looking confused. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Don't play dumb with me, you git! You have been ignoring me for the past week, so I want answers! If you have a problem with me, then say so!"

Alfred sighed and turned around. "It's nothing," he said as he walked away.

Arthur was taken aback and went after him. "Don't say it's nothing! I thought you told me not to run away!" Arthur grabbed Alfred's arm. "What is wrong with you?"

That was when Alfred snapped. "Shut up," he yelled, pushing Arthur away, "You're annoying, so leave me alone!"

Having pushed harder than necessary, Arthur fell to the ground. He looked up at Alfred, a wounded expression on his face. Alfred looked back, his face filled with distressed, and he ran away. "Al…Alfred," Arthur whispered.

Alfred kept running, jumping down the stairs two at a time. "Damn it," he said out loud, "why?" He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, memories flooding through his mind.

"_Why are you crying you brat?" SLAP "Stop crying!"_

Alfred held his head. "_That's the only memory of my parents I have. Them slapping me._" Alfred landed on his knees, tears falling down his cheeks. "Why…Arthur?"

Arthur was still in the same position, glaring into space. "You liar," he said bitterly, "You said you wanted to hang out with me. You said I made you happy…that we were friends! You bastard, I was an idiot to fall for you." Arthur stared at the ground, tears forming. "Well fine! If he's going to be like this, I will as well!" Outside, the rain poured harder as the two boys cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next day had begun normal. Alfred stared blankly as he listened to Feliks chatter. He was beginning to feel guilty for what he had done to Arthur. "Move it," someone suddenly said behind him. The boys jumped to see a very angry Arthur in front of them. "Move," he growled, "if you want to live." Everyone quickly moved out his way, Alfred gulping.

Later on, near the end of homeroom, one of the girls came up to Arthur. "Um, Arthur, do you think you can help me with this problem?"

Arthur looked up at her calmly and then, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST ASK ALFRED? AFTER ALL, HE IS SO MUCH MORE AWESOME AND SMART THAN ME! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!"

Everyone stared at Arthur in shock, while he simply huffed and looked away from Alfred's gaze. Alfred felt a chill go done his spine. "_Oh shit_," he thought.

"Alfred, like, what did you do to Arthur," Feliks asked, "I've never seen him angry before."

Alfred sighed and looked away. "_I wonder,_" he thought, "_when did this happen?_"

_**Flashback**_

The rain poured outside the house. The lightning struck the ground, basking the room in white light. In a corner, a younger Alfred was cuddled with a stuffed rabbit, whimpering. The thunder shook the room once more, causing Alfred to cry harder. Suddenly, the door of the room opened, and a woman walked in. "What's wrong," she asked, "Are you scared?" She looked at his bed. "Oh, you wet the bed?"

Alfred clutched his rabbit harder as she came closer. "_She's going to hit me,_" he thought.

The woman came to him and raised her hand. Alfred prepared to be hit, only to feel a hand rubbing his head instead. He looked up to see the blond woman give him a warm smile. "Are you scared? Do you want to sleep with us?"

_**End Flashback**_

Alfred grew melancholy. He knew what he had to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Alfred waited outside the school, the sun setting over the fields. He shivered, pulling his jacket closer to him. He heard the crunch of a leaf and turned to see Arthur walking towards him. Arthur saw him, a glare quickly falling on his face. "Arthur," Alfred said, but Arthur walked passed him.

"_No, I'll let him learn what it's like to be ignored_!"

"Arthur!"

Arthur walked faster, looked back for a second and walked right into a pole. "Oh, bollocks, that hurt! Bloody hell," he muttered, holding his head. That was when he heard laughter and turned to see Alfred holding his stomach laughing. "_Damn it, why do I always embarrass myself in front of him_?"

Alfred walked over to him. "Wow, even I wouldn't do something like that Artie! Here, let me see."

Arthur backed away from him, looking away. "Leave…leave me alone," he yelled.

Alfred sighed, and grabbed Arthur by the shoulders. When Arthur didn't move away, he bent down to look in his face. "Hey," Alfred said softly, causing Arthur to look at him, "I'm sorry."

Arthur's expression went from shock to relief. "_That's him_," he thought, "_that's the Alfred I know._"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The two went over to the park. It was getting late so no one was in the park at the time. The boys sat on a bench in silence. Eventually, Alfred broke it, "There are…secrets from my past that I had forgotten for a long time. Somehow," he looked at Arthur, "You brought all those memories back." Arthur listened intently, so Alfred went on, "We're the same….yet we're different. Me avoiding you…wasn't your fault. You see, after I went to your house…I got to see what a real family was like."

"What do you mean," Arthur asked quietly.

"The truth is," Alfred said sadly, "I'm adopted. Matt is actually my cousin. His name is really Matthew Williams. I love him and my parents but I know I could never have the kind of family that you have. My real parents…abused me, made me feel useless. They stole, used bribery, and then one day they left, leaving me behind. They were the shame of the family. When my father's sister adopted me, everyone in the family came and they said…that a child from such evil could never amount to anything." Arthur's eyes widened as Alfred glared, "I knew I had to prove them wrong. I was not evil, I was going to be perfect, a hero! That way I could save the Jones name, which is why I kept the name. I was always satisfied was myself and my life. I thought I could go on pursuing this dream…that is, until I met you Arthur."

Alfred smiled at that and looked away. Arthur, hesitantly, put a hand on his shoulder. "Go…go on," he whispered.

Alfred looked back sadly. "When I first met you, I thought you were exactly like me. That's why I wanted to know you. But when I learned more about you, and saw your other side…I realized a side of mine I didn't know I had. That there could be a more evil…a darker side to me that I've hidden behind smiles and laughs. It was hidden behind a smiling mask that you are slowly destroying Arthur. I didn't want that to happen, so I thought it would be best to avoid you and drive you away."

"But why," Arthur asked jumping up, "If you've found your true self, why not face it?"

"Because," Alfred yelled, "What if I become an evil person? What if my real parents passed it on to me! I…I don't want to be like my real parents…I want to be a hero…to be good…for my adoptive parents and for Matt."

Arthur's expression softened. He stood in front of Alfred. "Alfred, you care for them very much, do you not?" When Alfred nodded, Arthur smiled. "They must love you as well. And…even if you became evil, you will never be like your parents. Your relatives and friends will understand your weaknesses, and accept you. That's what it means to be a family." Alfred looked at him was amazement. Arthur smiled and walked closer to Alfred. "_This guy…I want to protect him…I want to protect this person who cares so much about people…because,_" he thought, placing a hand on Alfred's cheek, "_…I love him._"

Alfred gazed at Arthur. "Ar…Arthur?" Then Arthur took the same hand back and punched Alfred across the face. Alfred held his face for a minute before jumping up. "You…WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

Arthur held up his hand. "That," he said, "is the real Alfred." Alfred blinked, causing Arthur to chuckle. "You are not evil; you get angry, happy, and sad, like a normal person. I prefer this Alfred. I believe that the hidden you was waiting for the hidden me so that both of us could come out."

Alfred smiled a little. "That's sounds cheesy Arthur," he said chuckling.

"Oh shut up," Arthur said teasingly, "I've decided…that I'm done pretending and I'm going to act like my real self from now on. I…I think I'll be happier that way. What about you, Alfred?"

Alfred stared at him, before smiling big. "I'm really glad I became friends with you Arthur."

Arthur blushed and looked away. "I…I'm happy I'm friends with you too, I suppose." Alfred laughed as snow began to fall from the sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After that, the two began to work on their goal to reveal their true selves. Although some of it they had to hide for public image (though Alfred began to care less) the two would just laugh it off. During the time, Arthur's feelings for Alfred kept growing from a crush to love. Whenever Wendy brought it up, he would deny it. Truthfully, he enjoyed being Alfred's friend, but wanted something more. "_If only I could say something, but_," is what Arthur would think, but he never got past the "but."

"Christmas is coming soon, isn't it," Alfred said after school at the end of the week.

Arthur hit him on the head. "Soon? It's in a week! I thought you would know when your favourite holiday was?"

Alfred laughed, putting his arm on the desk. "Oh yeah, you're right! Besides, Christmas is my second favorite. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "That's just because it's your birthday as well." Arthur looked out the window. "It's hard to believe half of the school year has gone by. So much has happened in these four months." Arthur chuckled, "We went from acquaintances, to classmates, to friends, to…close friends I suppose."

Alfred smiled. "Do you know what's interesting about this," he asked. Arthur turned back to him. "Despite changing a little and learning about the real you, my feelings for you haven't changed since the beginning."

Arthur looked at him in shock. "What…what are you saying, Alfred," he asked.

Alfred smiled warmly and got very close to Arthur. "Arthur," he said quietly, "I've been in love with you this whole time. Will you go out with me?"


End file.
